Samurai Souls
by Leider Hosen
Summary: Tian-San, the land of three lords, has fallen into Chaos. The Dark Lords remain unresponsive to the growing calamity, and the next Age of Fire remains delayed by their efforts. In the face of incredible odds, the Good Spirit rises up to either save the land, or destroy it. [Concept Fic]
1. Shrine of Cinders

A/N: Alright, so last chapter brought up some very controversial ideas and theories. It had a lot of sensitive subject matter, so I guess I'll just check out the ensuing shitstorm of-

"Ludleth so goddamn badass!" Oh, thank you, I tried to-

"Sulyvahn is actually talking real sense at the end there. You have done a fantastic job of making him compelling. It's hard to remember that he is the antagonist at times. Hell, I'd certainly want to be on his side." Uh, yeah, Sulyvahn is my favorite villain archetype, I'm really glad-

"The battle between Ludleth and Aldrich was very well written. The dialogue was both clever and very meaningful." Oh, you *dainty hand wave* -

"Now this is impressive! The Aldrich v. Ludleth scene was wonderful and all of the characterization so far has been extremely well done!" Stahp, you're making me blush, I don't know if my heart can take- "I think that you might have just earned a TVTropes recommendation, if that's alright with you."

…

Oh. My. Fcuk.

I've only been dreaming about it since I wrote Dragon Souls, I'll play it cool and are you fucking seriousicanbelivethisishappenfsfncsfdsm

Seriously, you guys are all awesome.

"If we were awesome, YOU'D GIVE US ANOTHER CHAPTER BITCHWIGGLET!"

I know. I've been very tired having to keep up my pace. Faded Embers is very hard on me to write. Also, I go back to jail (school) next week, so I'm going to be busy.

So, rather than leaving you with a void of nothing (I'll still upload, but slower), here's something that's easier to write but still good, that I've had on my mind awhile. I could likely dive deeper into this first chapter, but honestly I'm really fucking tired, and everything will be explained in due time, so I'm lazy, sue me. The chapters after this first one will be of far greater quality, I assure you. This first one mostly suffers from me not being sure how to begin, but you should be more than happy with the end product.

* * *

 _Yes, indeed. As was foretold, the fire has faded, and only dark remains. With the dark obscuring all sight, clans and kingdoms of Hollows eke out a fragile living in the Age of Man, the Lords of Cinder long since departed_

 _In the absence of the old lords, The Dark Lords, sovereigns of great strength, claim the harrowed lands for their own, presiding over a fragile peace in an Eastern land_

 _But, within the depths, the faintest Embers have slowly begun to flicker into being, the essence of life swallowed by the shadows coming together, flames once again rising from the ashes_

 _Upon these newborn flames, the Dark Lords lay their claim, seizing their unimaginable power for their own,_

 _Haruka of the White Nights, the Tribal leader of the Horned Oni_

 _Moon Lord Menodoran, presiding over the devout Candle Makers_

 _Livia, The blood queen of the disgraced monks_

 _And the forlorn king of the boreal giants, Monghuul of the Northern Limit._

 _Alas, with the fire comes disparity and unrest, the Lords destined to turn on one another, dreaming of becoming the one true Lord_

 _Already, there are whispers of the old legends, of an undead who will return a phantom and end the eternal night, drawn into the world by the coming dawn_

* * *

As in previous games, your abilities are determined by a set of stats, most of which are the same as previous but by a different name. There are slightly new mechanics however, but those will be explained in a moment.

Vitality: Your capacity to endure incoming damage, your number of hit points.

Endurance: Your resistance to being fatigued in combat, increases your stamina.

Attunement: Determines number of Attunement slots and focus.

Resilience: Increases the ability to resist being knocked off balance, recover from being stunned, and bear heavier equipment.

Agility: Physical temperance for faster, more nimble movement and increased invulnerability.

Strength: Raw physical strength, which translates greatly to heavy arms that rely on overwhelming power above all else.

Skill: Knowledge of how to perform delicate, precise motions, which translate greatly to weapons with fine edges and blades.

Enchantment: Eldritch knowledge of Soul arts, which allow for greater mastery of various sorceries.

Temperance: Religious zeal and mental self-control necessary to channel the will of the Lords.

Humanity: Dark essence within the heart, which belongs to all humans. Increases the effectiveness of bleed and poison, increases curse resistance, and channels Dark and Blood sorceries.

Right away, you can see ten stats heavily similar to those of Dark Souls 3, only there are two that appear radically different from the pack. "Vitality", which allowed you to carry more weight the past few games, now also increases poise and reduces the duration of stunlock by various weapons. This allows for faster recovery from being guard broken and swinging a giant weapon.

On that note, Dark Souls 1 poise is back in its full, unsoiled glory, as is the return of armor, that, get this, is more than a fashion statement and actually boasts great defenses.

Rest easy, there will be no flipping Havel's with unlimited poise, because there is yet another stat, Agility, which has a few different effects:

If "Resilience" is the Strength stat that allows for greater tanking of damage with heavy armor and poise, "Agility" is the Dex stat that allows you to zip around the battlefield and evade attacks more easily. Essentially, Agility, like Equip Load, has various "tiers" of effect.

Low agility, or Tier 0 or 1, will make you roll very slowly and sluggishly, with fewer I-Frames, like in Dark Souls 2. Tier 2 to 4 Agility, or the 30 SL soft cap, and your movement will be similar to Dark Souls 1 midrolling or Fast Rolling, Tier 5+, and you will start to become outright lightning fast, with faster and further rolling animations like in Dark Souls 3, and faster recovery from those rolls. However, note that higher Agility rolls actually drain more stamina, so you cannot spam them as much as you want.

What this means is that, while you can still mix it up, in order to rollspam like in Dark Souls 3 with high I-Frames, you must invest in Agility, which will take SLs away from your other stats, and likewise you can become an unstoppable melee tank like in Dark Souls 1, who can shrug off most light attacks, but only if you have high armor _and_ high resilience paired on eachother.

Unless your opponent is a very high Soul Level, or has invested heavily in Resilience and Agility with a heavy draw from offensive stats or HP and Stamina, it will be very unusual to see a heavy armor character that can also move fast with high I-Frames.

This allows for finer customization and differentiation between strength and dex, though the opposite ends of the spectrum will be massively buff platemail-clad knights that can shrug off most heavy hits and take massive punishment, but suffer slower rolls and reaction speed, vs ninja fighters that can gracefully fly through most attacks without missing a beat, but will suffer heavy damage if they get hit, and not be able to resist getting swatted a couple times per mistake.

Note that the agility mechanic does not replace Equip Load, you still have "Fast", "Middle", and "Fat" based on your equip load, but a Fast Roll with Tier 1 Agility will not take you as far or fast as Tier 3 will.

 **Character Classes** : Note a lot of their starting gear is based on Asian weapons you may not be familiar, nearly all of them will be explained at length as they are found through the game.

 **Ronin:** A disgraced Samurai slaughtered in battle after departing the presence of his lord. (The Knight, starts the game with heavy armor, high resilience, and a Tachi.)

 **Bandit** : One of the many brigands that prey on passing merchants, fallen after a raid turned against him (light armor with high HP, Endurance, and Strength. Wields a Bandit Axe).

 **Warrior** : A nameless swordsmen, who once wandered the eastern lands as a mercenary. (Medium armor, Quality Strength/Dex, wields a Chinese Jian)

 **Ninja** : Dubious assassin, responsible for many deaths and sporting a lethal bag of tricks. (Low armor and resilience, high agility and dexterity, begins the game with Claws, 10 Shurikens, and a Shortbow).

 **Missionary** : A faithful monk, who brought the gospel to waiting citizens throughout the countryside. (very light armor, high temperance, begins the game with the Chigikiri, a Sacred Chime, and the "Heal" miracle)

 **Sorcerer** : A budding master of the Soul Arts, and a practitioner of sorceries. (low armor, strength, and dexterity, high enchantment, starts the game with a Dao, Sorcerer's Staff, and the spell "Soul Arrow".)

 **Blood Monk** : A long estranged student of Livia who wields abhorrent black sorceries, stoned to death outside a village. (High Humanity, moderate enchantment and temperance, begins the game with a Bloodletting Blade and Bone Talisman, which casts "Blood Needle" and "Dark Orb".)

 **Peasant** : A simple farmer of no renown, the few worldly possessions to your name stripped away by bandits soon after death. A journey this daunting should only be taken by masters. (Naked save for a club, SL 1 and very low stats overall.)

* * *

Burial Gift:

Ring of Life: _"A simple red ring, carrying a humble blessing from a long time ago to remedy the pain of a long travel. Slightly raises HP."_

Soul of an Old Man: _"Soul of an elderly peasant. Use to gain a trivial amount of souls."_

Spirit Water Vessel: " _A bottle crafted pearly wax resembling ivory, originating from the candle halls of Menodoran, the Moon Lord. These casks are highly valuable across all of Holy Tian-San for their ability to cure nearly any disease and heal any injury._

 _Emperor Chen Fu closely presides over such miracles, ensuring Lord Menodoran does not endanger his precarious rule._ "

Firebomb: _"Bundle of gunpowder, wax, and oil, which explodes violently when thrown. Hardly a devastating force against more hardened targets, but it can provide a momentary distraction in a pinch."_

Humanity Crystal: " _A precious, crystalline stone containing the concentrated life essence of Humanity. In the flameless age, these sprites gather together for warmth, slowly condensing into these rare gems. A matured crystal can pull a phantom completely through the veil of death, returning their body._

 _Always remember, though, returning to life is a temporary condition without the proper caution to stay that way._ "

Refined Ore: _"A very rare mineral that can harden a blade as well as hone its edge, though this intense tempering process renders the weapon lighter, requiring more effort behind each swing to leave a mark._

 _Unsurprisingly, these ores are held primarily by the emperor of Tian-San for the arms of the imperial army, their halberds among the strongest in the East_."

Pendant: _"A weathered stone pendant, coated in a dusting of ashes and scared by fire. Very close to being called truly ancient, it has no obvious effects, but it holds a strange sense of familiarity and comfort, as though a piece of the previous holders lives within it."_ (Actually boosts souls absorbed by 1%, and increases Humanity by 2 so long as it's in your inventory).

* * *

The game begins within a desolate fortress, similar in style to Demon's Souls. The castle walls possess a distinctly Asian style, with piles of burning rubble, dead bodies, and spears rammed into the ground indicating the violence of the battle.

It zooms in on one dead body, laying on a pile of rubble, starting to flicker to life, leaning up off the pile of rocks in an incorporeal state similar to Demon's Souls, your Player Character. You immediately start off, walking past the smoldering debris, with the distant sounds of combat all around.

The scene has an eerily dreamlike quality to it, as everything is realistic, but the sky is a dull grey color, mist swirling around the ground floor, which gives you the belief that the world before you is not entirely there.

You quickly find a dull green vessel on a dead body, terribly aged, but still useable:

Estus Flask: _"An ancient jade flask, said to bottle fire itself. Crafted for the now extinct Undead to carry soothing Estus with them, rejuvenating their strength on their travels. This vessel is long ashen and cold, but remains a traditional vessel for healing brews, the faintest warmth still trapped within."_

So, in this future, the loss of the First Flame has rendered the curse obsolete, and cleansed it. That, or there is nothing left but hollows and no new undead have been created since then. In any case, the world outside has changed a great deal since the events of Dark Souls 3.

As you make your way through the old fortress, all the other enemies are your basic hollow infantry, sans they are in the same phantom state as yourself. They don't have a lot of health, but can still deal some heavy damage if you are not careful.

There are many opportunities to learn the ins and outs of Souls for first timers. There's this one section where a ladder takes you above the main courtyard below, allowing you to throw firebombs down on top of your enemies, which can also trigger some explosive barrels, execute a plunge attack on one of the more dangerous enemies lurking below, or use a bow if you have one.

There are also lots of hidden secrets tucked away, teaching you to take full advantage of all the side corridors and passages that may seem useless at first, like this one staircase, which can take you inside the crumbling wall and after a brief jump across a gap, safely lead you past a large hoard of wandering soldiers, saving you from burning up you, we'll call it "Tea" for now.

After going a ways, you come across a sight that should be very familiar to long-time Souls fans: an open garden, free of any enemies, only rather than a burning fire, a very nice oriental stone fountain rests in the center, with three tiers of water running into a small pond where small koi can be seen swimming.

When you activate it, your character rests cross legged, seeming to gaze into the pond, recovering all of his strength and refilling your tea. There is actually a great deal of detail, telling a little bit about its history, as will every fountain you come across, with slight changes to them to reflect their area.

Be wary though, as these fountains are very rare and spaced far apart, only one or two per main area, but your tea can be replenished through various creative sources or by killing strong enemies to make up for it, as well as shortcuts to loop back on previous fountains. It encourages a more careful, tactical approach to combat and eliminating enemies as efficiently as possible, much like Bloodborne.

This one appears to be made entire of grey stone, with eroded statues standing on each tier, and the floor is covered with ashes. Upon resting, you are allowed to teleport to the next area. The name of your current location is the _Misty Fortress Wall_ , the area you can teleport too is likewise called the _Edge of the Mist_

You teleport to an area mostly blocked off by ruins, with a large gateway ahead of you, the portcullis closed. Between the absence of enemies, the fountain, and the open space, any veteran should be able to see the impending boss fight.

You take your first steps forward, and a featured thing drops in front of you. It has large, very colorful wings, feet like a hawk and an emaciated chest with smaller feathers branching to the side. It does have two mostly human arms with large talons, its head vaguely humanoid with a long, thin, and pointed face and a long nose, whiskers trailing to the sides of its face and a crazy bundle of frazzled fair sweeping off his brow.

It's based very heavily off a mythical _Tengu_ , and likewise its name is fittingly " _Guardian Spirit_ "

Because he's baring your path, you naturally need to fight your way through, though he can put up a pretty strong fight. He has a decent amount of HP, can fly in erratic, sweeping patterns to get away from you, use both the claws on his hands and his feet to attack.

Whenever he flaps his wings to fly backwards, he beats you about the face, staggering you and potentially leaving you vulnerable a moment if he rushes again.

The fight is very fast paced and energetic, and is accompanied by a likewise energetic and swift theme, making you feel pretty badass for tangling with this bird monster. (/watch?v=4rCdgwQnxTQ)

At 50% HP, his attacks become more focused, using his claw attacks, but gaining the ability to swoop in from above, claws out. If he grabs you, he will hoist you into the air, flying upwards a way before dropping you, sometimes sweeping you off your feet without stopping and throwing you into a wall, your character slamming into the rocks and taking heavy damage.

In the middle of fighting him, he can also jump above your line of sight, drop on your head, and use his actually very sharp fangs to chew you into submission, building up very heavy bleed.

He's faster than Gundyr, but not as strong and his Stage 2 doesn't greatly increase his power, meaning a first try or only a few tries are needed to down him. He offers nothing but a handful of Souls for beating him, and the banner upon beating him is "Flame Retrieved"

Killing him opens the doorway to the outside, your character walking into the swirling mists, everything going dark.

* * *

You awaken later, this time under a sky that is completely black, much like Untended Graves. The area is a cobblestone path lined with various small shrines and idols, leading up to a great temple, lit up by faintly flickering candles and torches, light dancing across the fractured mosaic that covers the floor.

The entire area is peaceful, filled by an ambient acoustic that is both sad and gently warming, the white noise of water running across the stones surrounding the temple and the fountain you come across in the Shrine, identical to the one from the dream plane, giving you a feeling of comfort. (/watch?v=z7eSpk1YYS0)

The area is called _The Lord's Cenotaph_ , the temple itself is referred to as the _Shrine of Cinders_

Both of these names, much like Firelink in the past games, are very fitting, as a Cenotaph is an empty tomb, in other words a tomb built to honor a person or group of people that have been buried somewhere else, while a Shrine is a holy place built to venerate and honor a holy entity.

The engravings and paintings along the walls, and the statues and idols, some of which look eerily familiar, are all here because the building is essentially a mausoleum created to honor the Lords of Cinder and the First Flame.

Looking around, no-one else in the building, you find another door outside, leading to a court that is fenced off from the outside world by high walls of stone and pillars, though it is notably plain and dreary compared to the interior of the shrine, everything made of dull rock. It does have a noticeable resemblance to the Kiln of the First Flame from Dark Souls 1, the parallels further solidified by a large Lordvessal in the center, a gentle flame flickering within.

You walk up to the woman standing over the Lordvessal, the Firekeeper.

Her outfit is vastly different from the Firekeeper's past: she hides her face with a broad wicker hat, keeping her face shyly tilted downwards, wearing a kimono with broad sleeves down to her ankles, and wooden sandals. Her outfit is all very dark, a violet color near black with many unknown symbols, with faint coverings of ash and dust. She keeps her hands tucked into her sleeves, crossing them at the middle, so you can't tell if they are injured like in Dark Souls 3 or not, in fact you can't see much of her at all, the Firekeeper greeting you with a calm, quiet voice:

"Lost soul, who has wondered from beyond the sleep of Death. I am a Firekeeper, the last of my kind."

"Kind Spirit, I have beckoned you back into this world to carry out a humble mission. This is Tian-San, the land of three Lords. The Dark Lords are sovereigns claiming leadership of this world by the might of their spirits, and held in balance by their compromise, but they have lost their way."

"Flames, long gone from this world, have begun to return, and the voracious Dark Lords have claimed them for their own. The world faces chaos, thus is your mission. Strike down the Dark Lords, reap their flame, and return it here, to me. When the Flames meet, I will make them whole again, and the light of the world will shine once more, and cleanse the eternal Dark."

"This shrine was abandoned long ago, but I have made it new again. I must remain here, to prevent any more fire from escaping into the world. However, I will kindly make the strength of their souls your own. To imbibe your flesh with the power to overcome the Lord's clutches."

"Down the way from here is a village. You may begin your journey there, and find the path forward. Back the way you came, further to the lands beyond, there is a great temple. If you desire anguish, they will provide it to make you stronger, but I warn you, do not make such choices lightly."

"Do you desire the strength of Fire?"

 **No.** "As you wish. I will remain here in this shrine, as it goes with Firekeepers and champions. You may use me in any manner you see fit, Good Spirit. No, do not regard me with disbelief, it's not a trespass if it's upon a Firekeeper."

 **Yes.** "Very well, embrace me, let these Embers sear to the core, and stir your spirit to greater power."

After that, she will greet you and offer the "Proper Bow" Gesture, leveling you up as a normal Firekeeper.

If you decide to attack her, or use her for target practice (you monsters know who you are), something very interesting will happen:

She takes damage, full damage, and her Health Bar comes up, but you quickly notice your attacks barely harm her. I mean, the strongest attack you have deals damage so small to her HP you wonder if you even hurt her at all, the Firekeeper warning you to stop hitting her.

"Mmm?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Stop this, now."

"Good Spirit, stay your blade."

If you hit her after the final warning, she parries your blade with her hand, her riposte a palm strike that sends you flying back away and will nearly assuredly kill you, as it will fuck up even a very high level character. If you try this late game, and you get up and continue attacking her, she will let you beat her to death (it takes a very long time though).

As she dies, she will utter the words: "Does this please you, Foul Spirit? I am not a slave, I am… a woman."

She will come back after you rest at the fire, but when you draw near, she will turn away from you. She will not speak to you for the entirety of the game, and will just have "…" display every time you select "Talk", though you can still level up. Suspiciously, her prices for leveling you up are 50% higher, and there is no way to reverse this.

With that, the first leg of the journey is complete, with the path going towards the village, or back away from the shrine, and towards another mausoleum…


	2. The Pantheon

With the hub world opened up, I decided to go back the way I came before trying to progress further. Up the path, past the alcove you began your journey in, is another temple, this one appearing far older than the Shrine of Cinder and surrounded by a moat, leaving a large bridge the only way to get there.

Not long after starting to cross, a voice speaks to you, echoing from all across the environment,

"Halt! Only the worthy may ascend to The Pantheon." He booms, his voice deep, loud, and proud, "Do you dare challenge the Eternal Warriors for the right to enter?"

If you continue forward, he will call out again: "You have shown tenacity. Very well, may your resolve prove unfaltering!" A fog appears on the far side of the bridge, the sound of several phantoms echoing as _seven_ figures emerge from the fog.

You regret everything. (/watch?v=NFrcmJQencc)

 _Eternal Warriors_ is seven-man Gank squad of NPCs. All of them have similar black uniforms, though with subtle differences and ornamentations, especially on their helmets, which range from a steel mask and helm to a pointy sorcerer hat.

Each one embodies a different discipline from the past games, their weapon and method of attack reflecting their build:

Quality: Wears a full set of steel mail with a black surcoat, with two greatswords, one in each hand. He deals and takes immense damage, has pretty good poise, and moves none too slow either. The most dangerous of the bunch.

Dex: Wears light robes with a hood over her face, wields a long katana. Can be knocked around very easily (if you can hit her, she Ninjaflips), with low armor and no poise, but strikes very fast with pretty high bleed buildup. Uses cancer run attacks and leap attacks to hold the pressure on, and can be quite a nuisance.

Strength: A towering behemoth in massive armor, with a nautical helm with vertical slits. His weapon is a giant Halberd, which he uses to quite simply smash you to death.

Pyro: Has a set with a pretty strong callback to Ingward, with yellow and red lines dyed over his black garb, uses ranged fireballs and AoE explosions to cover the area with flame and deal damage. He's pretty weak, but getting close to him is hard due to Combustion.

Faith: deals almost no damage, but can force push you all over the place, knock you back with an Emit Force, and he can heal other members of the party.

Intelligence: Wears a scholarly dress with a bright silver crown and a great wooden staff. Mostly stands back and blasts away with ranged spells as heavy artillery.

Archery: Wears thin leathers, rolls a great deal and uses a longbow to attack from middle range, being able to attack with a bow directly after a roll as well as rapid fire. Damage is a little low, but can become a massive nuisance.

It may seem impossible at first glance, but thankfully you can backpedal away from the bridge and into a far more open area. They have significantly weaker AI and attacks than most other NPCs later on, and can easily be kited apart as they have varying levels of aggression. The best way to win is to stay on the move, get them separated, and pick them off one at a time. They have roughly 1500 HP each, so a focused attack will down them swiftly.

Still, this fight could prove nearly impossible if you try it right at the start of the game. Seriously, The Firekeeper was not being ironic when she said you should really consider not bothering them.

When you defeat them, you get no souls or special items, the warriors getting back up and forming a half-circle around you, unharmed. The leader, the Quality with duel greatswords, congratulates you.

"A battle well fought. You have passed the test of combat, and earned the right to have your deeds engraved in the Pantheon. Welcome." They bow, and allow you to walk through, entering the temple at the far end.

The inside is a warm space, the center dominated by a large, broken statue, a round feasting table covered with food and wines encircling it, a few revelers quietly feasting, many of the Eternal Warrior's returning to various places in the shrine to rest.

The shrine is round, like a colosseum, and mostly open, the walls covered with carved stone tablets, as well as new ones being carved by various servants. When you approach a tablet, an option to view the champion it represents comes up, and it turns out these are actual players, the tablet showing their current gear and a set of stats, such as "Dark Sprits Destroyed", "Flames Reclaimed", "Journeys Taken", and their overall rank.

The Pantheon from Demon's Souls is back, and it's in hi-def, fuck yeah.

Most everyone ignores you, save for the leader of the Eternal Warriors, called Torek the Unshakable, who has quite a lot to say:

"Welcome, new Champion. Forgive the solitude of my companions, they are not as excited to greet visitors as I. We all have our own paths to follow. They have seen much over the ages, and have much to meditate upon, in this long night."

"We are wanderers by nature. Unbound by creed, Light, Dark, or Lordship, for who can claim Lordship over the mastery of the sword? Hahaha. We have been to many lands before this one, in search of new paths, new stones to carve. And now, yet another warrior has the honor of having his deeds placed upon these walls."

"Our order hails from a land far beyond this one. Our ancestors found a miracle deep within the mountains: a lake of ink, with waters as black as the skies above us, and colder than words can describe. Everything it touched turned brittle, and collapsed into dust, and yet there were stones. Rocks that refused to break under the flows. A curious thing, but what Miracle holds itself within the confines of our imaginations?"

"All who drank from the spring were struck with painful death, their organs blossoming into crimson ice, a pain beyond pain. But, those who endured were changed. Those who can partake of the waters and not die will find everlasting life. They become like those stones: the world may throw whatever it desires at them, but they will never be shaken or moved, a heart made truly courageous and without fear."

"Ah, I see that flame in your eyes. These tales of adventure, they stir your warrior's spirit, do they not?"

 **No they don't**. "Oh, that is unfortunate, but do not fear, no-one here will judge you. There are many paths to glory, and the path of the Eternal is not for the faint of heart or mind. There is no shame in seeing your limitations."

 **Yes, I do**. "That is a bold claim. Partaking of the waters of the lake of Ink is not something you merely do. Your body must be readied. No matter how strong you believe yourself to be, it will not be enough. You must take a higher path. A lonely path, a path filled with pain and torment. You will step into the world, and be destroyed by it, over and over again, ground into the earth, like a skittering insect. Are you prepared to subject yourself to this agony?"

 **No.** "A wise decision. Perhaps, one day, you will achieve worthiness. You are yet young and frail, but you may return whenever you desire."

 **Yes**. "Without hesitation, eh? What you ask for is no mere 'honor' code. A mark of bane will be etched upon your soul, the very mark that we bore ourselves. You will be drug down by its weight, and you will receive no respite from the pain. It will haunt you, every hour of each day, every moment you raise your sword. I could remove it any time… but if I do, your deeds will be effaced, your triumphs washed away. Will you take this mark?"

 **No**. "Ahh, a shame. But no matter, I see how greatly it beckons to you. When you set aside your doubts, return to me."

 **Yes**. "Then you are resolved, come closer, accept this covenant."

He faces you, places his hands together, and in a gesture of prayer places a glowing rune on your chest, a red dot hovering over your head identical to the Calamity Ring.

"It is done. Your path is your own to take, you may even choose another covenant, if you wish it. The mark will remain with you, tying your spirit to ours. Make your own mark upon this world, etch your presence into history as deeply as we carve these stones."

You officially enroll in the "Eternal Warrior" covenant, but you definitely want to make sure you're ready. You take 40% more damage from all sources, even fall damage is increased, and likewise your damage is dropped by 40%. Your stamina is also nicked by about 20%, meaning less attacks and rolls. If that wasn't enough, enemies detect you from further way and pursue you further.

You can't summon, from anything, Red, White, or Blue, but that's not the worst of it, not only can you not summon, but your invasion priority is much higher than usual and killing bosses _will not_ render you unable to be invaded in that area.

Your experience, as was fully advertised, will be _absolutely hellish_ in this covenant. No summons, less HP and Damage, enemies run at you from further away, and Reds will barge in to murderize you constantly. You. WILL. DIE. No joking, YOU WILL DIE, A LOT. If you can't handle it, and go to Torek, you can leave the covenant, but it will set your progress to zero, Torek expressing his encouragement if you decide to try again later:

"I suppose you were not ready for the path afterall. A shame. But you have already tried once, you will try again, one day. And I will be waiting."

When you kill a boss, or an invader of any kind, you receive an "Engraved Tablet", your covenant item.

Engraved Tablet: _"A small, heavy slab of rock, bearing words describing triumph over formidable foes. These tablets, treasured by the Eternal Warriors, are symbols of conquest over adversity, and are subject to much veneration._

 _Alas, no matter how sweet the reward, how far is one willing to go to reach it? As such, few of these stones are ever given."_

Turning them in to Torek will get you some pretty baller rewards at each rank, as well as an increasing level of praise, though after you run out of bosses, you'll need to PvP quite a bit to keep the stones coming.

Rank 1, 10 Stones: "Hmm, very fine work. You have made a small tale for yourself, a tale of triumph. Much of the rock is still barren, bearing no words. Carve them with more deeds."

He grants you a ring for the trouble:

Silver Sword Ring: _"An ancient silver ring that once belonged to a great conqueror, depicting a silver blade. Raises physical attack power, at the cost of defense._

 _Offensive power at the cost of everything is the trait of a madman, and sometimes a great ruler. Which one will you become?"_

Increase in attack is 10% with a 15% reduction in defense, pretty straightforward.

Rank 2, 20 Stones: "Once again, you return to me with a bounty of tales for our halls. Your tenacity is truly astonishing. Here, take this relic, to aid in your journey. The one who came before you would have liked to see you use it. The journey broke his spirit, and his mind, but he willed his weapon fall to someone who may succeed where he failed."

Vespamaru: _"A curious enchanted sword, whose great, thorny blade separates into a hail of smaller cutting segments that cause heavy bleeding. Suffice to say, it took a tremendous amount of effort to forge and enchant the needlessly complicated sword, which quickly became mocked for its flashy, but ultimately ineffective attack pattern._

 _Weapon Art: Swarm of Hornets. Use weapon art to rapidly swing the chain of blades in front of you, and follow through with heavy attack to continue swinging until stamina is depleted."_

It's a greatsword, but it swings very fast for its size, as each time it's swung the blade breaks apart into segments that go flying in an arc. It has a high attack rating and bleed buildup, with a scaling of E Strength and S Skill, but its actual damage output is much lower than the rating suggests.

That is because, when you lock on, the blade extends to reach a target up to an impressive range, but each segment deals its own piece of the damage. Well, that means that at a longer range only one or two segments strike, dealing tiny damage as a result.

The Weapon Art causes you to corkscrew the whip in front of you, as well as a bit to the sides, with a giant hitbox and heavy damage potential, which looks very impressive but can be avoided completely by simply walking backwards. Useless, right?

Actually this thing is _very_ dangerous if you master it: if you stand at optimal range, you can hit enemies from a safe reach and still deal great damage, since your segments will be closer together. Stringing different attacks together will also keep your lashes sawing across the target, and the huge sweeping motions of varying types catch people out of rolls easily since a lot of attacks linger.

Getting hit by several of the dagger-like blades in rapid succession _destroys_ poise and can lead to insanely fast bleed buildup on a high Humanity build. It has a high skill cap, but with the right practice it can be an absolutely vicious weapon in PvP, and against any bleed-vulnerable enemies in PvE it can hold its own with the best of them. Its primary weakness once it's optimal range and combos are mastered is the _extremely_ high stamina drain it carries.

There is also a hilarious hidden Easter egg if you reach Rank 2 without dying one time. He will start hyperventilating, temporally channeling Lord Shaxx as he has a mild orgasm:

"Oh my. You… you're no ordinary man/woman, are you? I have seen some of the greatest warriors of our time pass in and out… but you. You carve your path with a knife that splits open the heavens and earth. The world tried its hardest to destroy you, and you kicked it away and spat in its eye, left it bleeding and broken under your boots. Not once. Not even one single death. Here, this is my most prized treasure. In my youth, I earned this ring by becoming the strongest in our order. You are its rightful owner now."

Black Obelisk Ring: _"A band set with a pyramid of stone of unknown type from the shores of Ink Lake. It is bathed with a complete blackness that does not reflect light, but running a finger very lightly over the faces reveals the entire history of the Eternal Knights, though it's a mystery how such minuscule carvings could be made._

 _Feasting on hardship, the lower the wearer's HP is, the greater their attack and defense becomes."_

Unless you use filthy CE Black Magic, this ring will likely be a very rare sight. Essentially, it is a red and blue tearstone in one, but it has a few other neat features as well: instead of having one breakpoint at 20%, it has several breakpoints as your HP gets lower and lower.

At 70%, it activates a 10% buff. By 50%, that number raises to 18%. Below 40%, the Buff raises to 25%, and past that it very slowly caps to 30% at 10% HP. It also stacks with the Red and Blue Tearstone, and any buffs you have.

This ring is insanely hard to get, and takes incredible skill as it basically demands getting 20 consecutive wins in PvP and resetting to Rank 0 by ditching the covenant if you die, but once you have it, it may be one of strongest and most useful rings in the game since it will activate way more often and consistently than the Tearstones and it buffs both attack and defense.

It's still a bragging rights reward, since if you can rek people with a near 50% overall nerf _twenty times in a row_ , you really don't need it.

Rank 3 30 Stones, "Yes, I have been waiting for you. Brave Spirit, filled with determination and valor, you have chiseled a truly extravagant tale of victory and conquest over the odds. Time and time again, you have faced harsh circumstances and prevailed, unbroken, unbowed."

"Many believe we are an order that exists to die. Hehehe, they know nothing. We don't fight to die, we fight to live. Hardship and anguish are natural parts of being alive in this world, there is no way to change it. So why fight the course of nature? Ours is not the path to avoid woe, but to face it in kind and surpass it."

"I see clearly that is your way as well. If you have stayed the course for this long, then you know full well the bitterness of climbing a hill so steep and filled with thorns as this only serves to give you a greater height to reach."

"Your journey to becoming an Eternal Warrior is not yet complete, but you are close. Yes, very nearly there. Take this sacred heirloom in hand, it is a token of my favor. You have punished yourself enough to earn a token of mercy. Afterall, I do not wish to see you surrender hope, when you are so very close…"

Second Chance (Miracle): _"Once per cast, revive with a small amount of HP upon death. An ancient, long lost miracle, only a few complete copies known to exist._

 _Oddly, the ability to expel death should take immense faith, and yet this tome only asks a small offering. Perhaps it is not powered by the will of the gods, but the persistence of the caster?"_

Requires only 20 Temperance, but a heap of FP. Unlike Denial, it revives you with 10% HP rather than only 1, enough to keep you in Red Tearstone territory, but not enough to soak more than one hit. This makes getting to Rank 4 a little easier:

Rank 4, 40 Stones. "Brave Spirit, and most venerated warrior. You have carved a romantic epic of pain, triumph, and victory. Our halls are filled with songs of your glory. You are a peerless combatant, none can boast an epitaph so long and fiery as yours."

"And now, you have earned the right to join our ranks. Prepare."

The screen fades to black, fading back in beneath the temple. Your character is wearing nothing but a white tunic, looking around at the Eternal Warriors, which are standing in a half-circle around a fountain, which is little more than a pile of rocks with black water pouring down from top to bottom, faint mist trailing across the surface.

You walk up, reaching into waters and cupping your hands, though the surface releases a sharp hiss, your character drawing up a handful and drinking.

After a moment, your character clutches his/her chest, a loud heartbeat sounding, Torek starting to monologue in the background as you collapse to your knees, clutching your mouth.

"No body can resist the pain of this blessing. So your journeys striped it away, laying bare your heart and soul-"

Blackness starts to weep from your eyes and from behind your fingers, trailing down your front and staining the white fabric, a sickening crunch and crack faintly heard.

"To either break under the pain of your travels, or become strong enough overcome them."

The blackness starts to spread all over your body, the screen itself turning dark at the edges and creeping inward.

"Without this, your soul would wash away like sand, and it still may."

The screen goes fuzzy as your character completely fades out,

"Good Spirit, what is it that gives you the will to keep standing?"

* * *

You awaken in the Shrine of Cinders, lying flat on a bedroll, getting back up in a daze. After a moment, you are allowed to run around again, gaining a new piece of armor:

Ink-Stained Tunic: " _A funeral dress, stained black by Ink. Its touch is like rime in the autumn, but it feels comforting and protective._

 _Every Eternal Warrior works a piece of this garb into their armor, the fabric tailored into all manner of shapes and styles as diverse as the warriors themselves. Many have tried, but the alluring ink has destroyed many who aspire to its embrace_."

Has a weight of 0.1, but a defense comparable to leather, making it the highest weight-to-defense ratio armor in the game, though all you get is the chest. It also causes you to regenerate at a rate of 3 points per second.

You now have a white halo, which is especially noticeable if you're wearing the black garb, the calamity mark gone. If you were in Phantom Form before, you're in Body Form now, and if you die, you will resurrect in body form with all of your souls. You have surpassed death itself, and while you're not a total immortal yet, that character no longer suffers any penalties for screwing up, not that you'd do that very often considering the 40 Kills of Bosses and Players it took to get the reward.

And that is the entirety of one covenant down, only 8 more to go.

Before heading into the rest of the game, The Firekeeper has a little bit of dialogue for completing the covenant, as well as reaching the first milestone, something that will happen a lot as the Firekeeper has a surprising level of knowledge of the outside world for being in the shrine all the time:

After reaching Rank 1: "Oh. Forgive my saying, but you look terrible. The Shrine is yours to use as you see fit, as am I. Please, take a rest. I would hate to see you hollow out there, my champion."

After reaching maximum rank: "Good Spirit, just now, I felt something change deep within you. I can discern a harmony within your soul, now. When you first came to me, I could sense a deep desire to return to slumber, to escape this wretched world."

"Perhaps you willed it, or maybe it was something deep down, knowing what you'd have to endure for all our sakes. You are not the first to be forced into the task of Lord slaying, to sort out the calamities that befall the living realm, and you will sadly not be the last. But now, that resentment has quieted."

"… Forgive my musings. You have more important things than I to attend to. I just wanted to say I am glad you found your peace, it comforts me to know you no longer anguish over the task. I only hope you consider not becoming too comfortable with your grim duty. Every warrior deserves their rest."


End file.
